Food · Fermented foods

Wheat Starch (Komugi-denpun)

小麦でん粉 (Komugi-denpun)

Also known as: Komugi-denpun, Wheat starch, Uki-ko (wagashi grade), 浮き粉, 小麦澱粉

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	小麦でん粉
Common Japanese notations	小麦でん粉, うきこ, 浮き粉, 小麦澱粉
Origin	Wheat starch (Triticum aestivum) extracted by washing wheat dough to separate starch from gluten; uki-ko 'floating powder' is the wagashi-grade refined wheat starch; byproduct of vital-wheat-gluten production; principal domestic producers: starch processors in Hokkaido and other wheat-producing regions
Typical functions	Wagashi (Japanese confectionery) — translucent crystal-like steamed dumplings (uiro, kuzu-mochi substitute), Yum cha / Chinese-cuisine dumpling skins (har gow translucent skin), Tempura coating component (light crispness), Industrial sauce/soup thickener with neutral flavor
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard food labeling. Wheat is a JAS-mandatory allergen — must be declared. Wheat starch retains residual gluten in unrefined grades; isolated wheat starch can be reduced to <20 ppm gluten in highly-refined grades but is NOT considered gluten-free in Japan without specific certification.

Wheat starch (小麦でん粉, komugi-denpun; wagashi grade: 浮き粉 uki-ko) is starch isolated from wheat by washing dough to separate starch from gluten. Distinctive translucent finish for wagashi and Chinese dumpling skins. **JAS-mandatory wheat allergen disclosure required.**

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Classification

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Product applications

Functions

Thickening / gelling5

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient512

Origin

Plant-derived319

Common OEM product categories

Finished-product categories where Japanese OEM manufacturers commonly formulate with this ingredient.

Industrial wheat starch (B2B starch ingredient)
Wagashi-grade uki-ko consumer retail
Foodservice professional pack

Ingredient profile

Refined wheat starch (Triticum aestivum) extracted from dough.

OEM applications

Wagashi translucent confections (uki-ko grade).

Chinese yum cha har gow translucent dumpling skins.

Tempura coating crispness component.

Industrial sauce/soup neutral thickener.

For OEM: wagashi B2B, foodservice ingredient pack, industrial starch.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling.

**Wheat is JAS-mandatory allergen — must be declared.**

Refined wheat starch may retain residual gluten — not gluten-free without specific certification.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Wheat starch with <20 ppm gluten can be 'gluten-free' under EU Regulation 828/2014; wheat allergen disclosure required.
USA	Wheat allergen disclosure required (FALCPA). Gluten-free certification requires additional process control.
China	Standard food ingredient.
Korea	Standard food ingredient.

Market reference formulations

Example finished products will be added after verification.

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Alternative ingredients

Related ingredients commonly evaluated as substitutes.

Rice Starch

Quick answers

What is Wheat Starch (Komugi-denpun)?: Wheat starch (小麦でん粉, komugi-denpun; wagashi grade: 浮き粉 uki-ko) is starch isolated from wheat by washing dough to separate starch from gluten. Distinctive translucent finish for wagashi and Chinese dumpling skins. **JAS-mandatory wheat allergen disclosure required.**
What is the regulatory status of Wheat Starch (Komugi-denpun) in Japan?: Standard food labeling. **Wheat is a JAS-mandatory allergen — must be declared.** Wheat starch retains residual gluten in unrefined grades; isolated wheat starch can be reduced to <20 ppm gluten in highly-refined grades but is NOT considered gluten-free in Japan without specific certification.
What products typically use Wheat Starch (Komugi-denpun)?: Industrial wheat starch (B2B starch ingredient) / Wagashi-grade uki-ko consumer retail / Foodservice professional pack
Where does Wheat Starch (Komugi-denpun) come from?: Wheat starch (Triticum aestivum) extracted by washing wheat dough to separate starch from gluten; uki-ko 'floating powder' is the wagashi-grade refined wheat starch; byproduct of vital-wheat-gluten production; principal domestic producers: starch processors in Hokkaido and other wheat-producing regions
What is the INCI / JSCI labeling name for Wheat Starch (Komugi-denpun)?: JSCI: 小麦でん粉

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From the same origin

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Japanese OEM factories whose published profile references this ingredient. Auto-detected from manufacturer descriptions; verify capabilities directly.

北国フード株式会社
石川県

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Official regulatory databases

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MEXT 食品成分DB（検索） ↗

References

文部科学省 (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Standard Tables of Food Composition — 小麦でん粉

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.